


I Am Iron Man, Not J.P. Morgan

by SilverTonguedSlytherin1



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, F/M, Financial Issues, Not Clint Barton Friendly, Not Clint Friendly, Not Maria Hill Friendly, Not Natasha Friendly, Not Natasha Romanov Friendly, Not Sam Wilson Friendly, Not Sam friendly, Not Steve Friendly, Not Steve Rogers Friendly, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Who Funds the Avengers?, not SHIELD friendly, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:06:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23990527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverTonguedSlytherin1/pseuds/SilverTonguedSlytherin1
Summary: With the fall of SHIELD, funding for the Avengers Initiative has stopped. Steve Rogers has $3,000,000 in the bank, which won't buy a Learjet, let alone a Quinjet. They can't go to the government for money because they would just tie them up with red tape and keep them from doing their jobs. As such, they go to Tony Stark for funding, certain that Iron Man will help their cause.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Comments: 174
Kudos: 1766
Collections: Best Team Iron Man





	I Am Iron Man, Not J.P. Morgan

**Author's Note:**

> While this fic isn't exactly up to my normal bashing levels, it's still firmly on the side of Team Tony. If this offends you, please don't read it. Comments are moderated in case you do so anyway.
> 
> This fic can be read as a prequel to my story "In Which the Avengers Are Not Funded By Tony Stark," but it was written as a stand alone fic.

They're in one of the smaller conference rooms of Stark Tower. The table seats twelve. Pepper and Tony sit at each end, Rhodey sits in the middle of the left side. Next to him are Jennifer Walters and Happy. To Pepper's immediate left sits the Head of Accounting, and to Tony's immediate right sits Bruce. On the right side of the table, Rogers sits in the middle. On each side of him sits Romanov and Hill. To Pepper's immediate right sits Barton. On Tony's immediate left sits someone introduced as Sergeant Sam Wilson, who eyes Rhodey with the same sort of disdain of every enlisted man who doesn't really respect the brass. This meeting should be fun. At least R&D had already left offerings of coffee in his office.

Tony sits back in his chair and slips off his red-tinted sunglasses. He raises his eyebrows slightly, and Pepper gives him a short nod. Let the games begin. He slips on Board Meeting Look No. 3, the one that is all hard jaw and piercing eyes, the one that he used at every Board Meeting for the year after they locked him out of the company. He keeps his tone professional but distant when he speaks, "Perhaps we should start by clarifying the purpose of this meeting as your request was rather vague."

Rogers looks uncomfortable when he responds, "I told you, we need to talk about the Avengers, Tony."

"Indeed, however, that encompasses a lot of ground. For example, would you like to discuss potential employment options for the Avengers within Stark Industries?"

"That would do well for our purposes, Stark," Hill cuts in.

"Doctor," Happy corrects.

"What?"

"He has four Ph.D.s. You should call him "Dr. Stark" or at the very least "Mr. Stark." Just using his last name is disrespectful."

The Avengers did not take kindly to that statement, given their faces, but aside from a few "ego" comments, they really didn't say anything.

Jennifer says, "Now, Mr. Rogers-"

"Captain," interupts Hill.

"No."

"If we have to address Stark as "Doctor," then it's only fair you address Steve by his rank as well."

Rhodey replies, "Which we are. Mr. Rogers never completed basic training, so he does not even truly have the rank of Private. He certainly does not hold the Bachelor's degree or command training to have and officer's rank. And before you shout 'field promotion,' please remember that for an enlisted man, the highest rank he could hold is Sergeant. Excellent service may have gotten him promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, but not Captain. Regardless of if it was given, any promotion of rank for Mr. Rogers was never filed."

"Captain America is simply a stage name, originally created and owned by the U.S. Army. The rights to it were sold to Dr. Howard Stark in 1947. Upon his death in 1991, the rights transferred to his son. As such, not only does Mr. Rogers not hold the rank of Captain, he also has no rights to the name "Captain America," and the appropriate address is indeed Mister," Jennifer states calmly. "As I was saying, Mr. Rogers, Stark Industries has been on something of a hiring spree in the past few days as Ms. Potts has approved an expansion of the Security Division. You all are more than welcome to apply, of course, but I fail to see why that would require a meeting with Dr. Stark."

Rogers bristles. "Ma'am, this really is a private conversation. We just need to talk to Tony about providing funds for the Avengers."

Rhodey, no, Colonel Rhodes speaks, "I know you are not suggesting that the Avengers act a vigilante group with funding provided from Dr. Stark. I know you are not suggesting that in front of the senior liason between between the U.S. military and Stark Industries."

Their faces make it clear that is exactly what they are suggesting. 

Pepper says, "I can imagine this can be a frightening time for you all, especially given the economy and the job market. However, that fear does not mean you can simply ignore the law, and it certainly does not mean you can expect others to do so."

Rogers says, "Ma'am, you don't understand. Hydra-"

"Is a terrorist organization, which the Joint Terrorism Task Force is trained to handle."

They splutter a bit before Hill tries, "Ms. Potts, I'm not sure you understand the magnitude of the threat Hydra poses."

"Ms. Hill, I'm not sure your methods differ enough for it to matter."

"Excuse me?"

"Ms. Hill, only twelve percent of the average government organization was Hydra, although the U.S. Postal Service had the lowest at three percent and Congress had the second highest at twenty-one percent. However, nearly fifty percent of SHIELD was actually Hydra, including eighty-four percent of those who were Level 8 and up, yet the only way we know this is because of Hydra's extensive record-keeping.

"So what I mean, Ms. Hill, is that I do not think you're Hydra, and that's the scary part."

The room is silent except for the sounds of breathing. Rogers and his group look ready to pick a fight, and Tony discreetly texts JARVIS to have security on stand-by. He sits back and asks, "If you're so keen to fight Hydra, why don't you join the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Rogers?"

"Governments have agendas, Tony."

"So do people, and I'm asking about yours."

Romanov tries to smoothe things over, "You know Steve's history with Hydra."

"Sure, and I get that, but since you leaked all of Hydra's files onto the internet, every organization has been cleared of it. The court cases have been all over the news, so it's not like you can realistically think every agency is full of them. So why not join the group who will be leading the charge against Hydra, instead of stepping on their toes? Why ask a civilian corporation to fund you?"

"Tony, are you sure we can't discuss this in private?"

"Romanov, considering what you are suggesting, this meeting is private. The people in this room are the bare essentials of the people necessary to discuss your proposal legitimately."

She raises an eyebrow, so Tony says, "Obviously, Bruce has to be here as a member of the Avengers Initiative. I'm unsure whether you intend for me to stay as a consultant to the team, make me a full member, or simply request funding from me, but I have to be here whether we are discussing me as an individual or as the majority shareholder of Stark Industries. As the CEO of Stark Industries, Ms. Potts has to be present for such a large company matter, and, if you are playing the personal card, I would never make such a decision without consulting my fiancee, given how much it would effect her.

"Colonel Rhodes is here as the senior liaison between Stark Industries and the U.S. government. Ms. Walters is here as the Head of Stark Industries' legal department. They are here to ensure we do not overstep into illegal territory.

"Mr. Hogan is the Head of Stark Industries' Security Division. He is here to ensure our decisions fit into the department's plans, as well as to allow you to meet your boss, if we reach an agreement.

"And Ms. Starling is the Head of Accounting. She is here to ensure we do not take on more than we can afford, as well as to perform cost-benefit analysis.

"So, yes, Romanov, this conversation is as private as it can be given the circumstances."

Wilson blurts out, "C'mon, man, how hard is it to help five people search for terrorists?"

"Very, Sergeant. For starters, it won't simply be five people. You will need medical care, ground support, intelligence, and probably a whole lot of other things that I'm not thinking about. You'll need transportation because there is no way you can travel commercial with the weapons you'll need. And that's another thing: a team would need weapons, and Stark Industries swore off making them in 2008. You'll need to coordinate with the countries you're entering, so you don't get arrested for illegal entry or terrorism, and they'll -"

Barton cuts in, "Terrorism, really?"

"Yes, Barton, terrorism. When people who aren't affiliated with a government illegally start blowing things up, capturing people, etc., they call it terrorism. And that's another thing, what do you intend to do with any members of Hydra you encounter? As a private entity, you wouldn't have the authority to arrest them.

"So, you see, Sergeant, as I said, it would be very difficult to fund the Avengers."

"Some things are more important that money," Rogers says with his Captain America Is Disappointed in You face. 

"They are, but at the same time, money is essential, otherwise, you wouldn't be asking me for funds."

"We're talking about Hydra. You know what they're capable of."

"I also know what will happen if I involve Stark Industries in a mess like the Avengers. Iron Man was one thing. I started out going after my own illegally sold weapons. I liased with the various governments, and most were content to let me handle it. Since then, barring New York, the battles I've been in have been when personally attacked. Instead, I use the armor during relief efforts and the like where sending people in is too dangerous. It's still a risk, and it still comes with legal issues, but it's not a large enough issue to put my company and my workers at risk.

"What you're asking, however, is for me to take the responsibility for several full-time vigilantes. I wouldn't just be paying for the team's missions, I would have to cover living expenses, etc. because there is no way you could afford to hold down a full-time job on top of it. This means that whatever you did or didn't do would come back to me."

"This is greater than you."

"It's not greater than the livelihoods of my employees."

"What?"

"Stark Industries is a multi-national corporation, which employees over 600,000 people directly. Funding the Avengers, as either an individual or a company, will have an impact on them. If we do this the wrong way, without going through the proper channels, there could be negative consequences for them."

"Howard -"

"My dad wouldn't put his employees at risk. He didn't even for the search for you."

"So that's your answer, then," Hill says when she's recovered, "you won't fund the Avengers."

"I will not fund a group of vigilantes, no; there are proper authorities to take down terrorist groups. I am, however, willing to hire any or all of you as individuals. And, no, that is not double-speak for "hiring you and letting your job be tracking Hydra.""

Rogers asks, "Then where are we supposed to get funding?"

"I don't know. I'm Iron Man, not J.P. Morgan."

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so personally, I don't see how the Avengers could be government funded in the later movies. After all, why would Lagos, etc. have happened if that was a sanctioned mission? Why protest that the Accords would make them government attack dogs if they were already government funded? I mean, surely they didn't steal government property for personal use, right? And surely they aren't such large hypocrites, right? 
> 
> I also don't see how any of the Avengers could hold a full-time job while hunting Hydra/Bucky. After all, where is going to give them that kind of vacation time?
> 
> Also, the absolute largest amount of money I've seen anyone say Rogers is entitled to is $3,000,000, and I personally don't see it happening (largely because I don't see him as being an actual Captain, which is important to the amount of money he is owed). I've heard that some people make arguments regarding the rights to Captain America merchandise, but I have mixed feelings there: 1) It's likely that the U.S. military had him sign a contract for his likeness and such, 2) Even if they didn't, would Rogers' be willing to fight for the money and rights? I mean, if the money is helping support charities or government outreach, etc., is he going to take that money away. 3) If Rogers' is willing to fight, could he afford the attorney fees? 4) Would he even know about the money? Rogers doesn't seem to have had much experience with contract law, so can he be expected to know about royalties and the like? Can anyone be expected to have told him?


End file.
